The basic V fold pop up is a powerful pivot, able to rotate a design element a full 90 ° as the card opens.

You can use it to move a piece side to side across the face of the card, or to pop something in or out from the fold of the card.

It can raise a flag, jump a cow over the moon, or make a rabbit peek out of a hat.

A double V can bring a couple together for a kiss, prick up a dog's ears, open arms for a hug, or jump legs up and down.

In this lesson we will make a symmetrical V pivot. This mechanism is most used to hide a design element in the crease of the card, only popping it out when the card is nearly all the way open.
Start with a square piece of paper. (Makes two v-fold pivots).

Black solid lines are cut lines. Dotted lines are fold lines.

Fold and unfold in half vertically, then along both diagonals.

Decide how wide you want your tab attachments to be (let's say 1/4").

Measure in 1/4" and draw a line parallel to each side. Cut off and discard the 1/4" segments at the top and bottom. Cut paper in half horizontally. You now have 2 v-fold pivots.

In the sample the tabs have been valley folded and glued facing out (visible). They could just as easily be mountain folded and glued facing in toward the center (less visible).

Cut out a couple some arm or flag shaped pieces. Affix them to different places on the V and see what happens when you open and close the card. (If you use some not-so-sticky tape, like painter's tape, you can easily peel off the pieces and move them around.)

This one, for example, suggest antennae or antlers. Turn it upside down and it looks like legs. As the card closes the blue pieces tuck back behind the V fold.

Pop Up Card Examples

Sweet 16 Pop Up Card

The candles and number 16 fold down behind the cake when the card is closed. Robert Sabuda pattern. Tutorial for this variation here.

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